Painter&#39;s wall stencil



March 20, 1962 R. H. TREGONING 3,025,788

PAINTERS WALL STENCIL Filed Feb. 24, 1961 IN VEN TOR. 905527- resao/w/v United States atent 3,025,788 PAINTERS WALL STENCIL Robert H. Tregoning, Foxon Hill Road, East Haven, Conn. Filed Feb. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 91,407 Claims. (Cl. 101127.1)

This invention relates to a novel p ainters stencil assembly having a frame containing replaceable stencils.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simple, inexpensive, and practical assembly of the kind indicated, in which a plurality of similar or different individual stencils are interchangeably mounted, for producing a painted design on surfaces, such as walls.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an assembly wherein the frame has one or more hinge joints, located between stencils, which enable the assembly to be conformed to a room corner or other angularity of surfaces, and maintain the predetermined relationships of painted designs on both of the surfaces which meet at the corner or angularity.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an assembly of the character indicated above, wherein the stencils are removably inserted in the frame from the back of the frame, in an arrangement wherein placement of the assembly against a wall or other surface, puts the stencils flush against the wall or other surface, and, at the same time, the pressure of the stencils against the wall or other surface serves to assemble the stencils more securely and accurately in the frame.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of'FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded, enlarged, and fragmentary sectional and elevational view, showing a stencil positioned for insertion in a part of the frame;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a stencil blank; and

FIGURE 5 is a view like FIGURE 4, showing the flaps of the stencil bent up to operative position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated assembly comprises a flat rectangular frame having longitudinal side members 12, end mem bers 14, and-right-angularly intersecting longitudinal and transverse bars 16 and 18, respectively, which are severally and parallel spaced from the side members 12 and end members 14, preferably at uniform distances, so as to define openings 20, here shown as being square. Openings of other shapes are contemplated by the present invention.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the intersecting bars 16, 18 are shallower than the side and end members 12, 14, and the bars 16, 18 have rear surfaces 22 which are forwardly spaced from the rear surfaces 24 of the side and end members. Further, as also shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the rear sides of the side members 12 and end members 14, are recessed, as indicated at 26, for substantially half their widths, from the inner edges thereof, so as to provide stop surfaces 28 which extend normal to the frame 10, and rear surfaces 30 which are coplanar with the rear surfaces 22 of the intersecting bars 16 and 18 and are spaced from the rear surfaces 24.

Longitudinal slots 32 and transverse slots 34 are severally formed through the longitudinal and transverse bars 16 and 18, respectively, along the centerlines thereof,

and other longitudinal slots 36 and transverse slots 38 are formed in the side and end members, respectively, in line with their stop surfaces 28. Thus, with respect to each frame opening 20, four similar slots are provided, which, as shown in FIGURE 1, are shorter than the distances between adjacent intersecting bars and are spaced, at their ends, from adjacent bars.

At least one and preferably two transversely extending hinge joints A are provided in the frame 10, and spaced at least one row of openings 20 from an adjacent end member 14, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The hinge joints A comprise relatively wide V-shaped grooves 40, formed through aligned transverse bars 18, from the outer or front sides of aligned transverse bars 18 and extend into the frame side members 12. Flexible connecting tapes 42 are suitably secured to the outer or front sides of the sections 44 of the transverse bars 18, produced by the grooves 40, and extend across the grooves 40, whereby the sections 44 are hingedly connected together, and similar tapes 46 extend across the grooves in the frame side members 12 and hingedly connect the sections 48 produced by the grooves 40.

The frame 10 can have another type of hinge joint B, located either between two transverse bars 18, or between a transverse bar and a frame end member 14, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Such a hinge joint comprises aligned V-shaped grooves 40a in the side members 12, the longitudinal bars 16, and the frame side members 12, which divide the same into sections 44a, which are hingedly connected together by tapes 42a extending across the grooves 40a and secured to the outer surfaces of the sections.

Both types of joints A and B enable portions of the frame 10, at opposite sides of the joints, to be bent relative to each other, in order to conform the frame 10 to angularly related surfaces to be painted, and in order to maintain a predetermined geometrical relationship of stencils and designs to be painted therethrough, despite the difierent angular relationships of the surfaces to be painted, as in room corners, niches, and alcoves.

For each of the openings 20 of the frame a stencil 50- is provided, which consists of a generally rectangular flat sheet material blank 52 of limited resilience and substantial rigidity, which has a main central portion 54 of a shape corresponding to the frame openings, and larger in area than the openings 20. The main portion 54 has longitudinally elongated relatively narrow longitudinal flaps 56, and transverse flaps 58 on and extending along related edges thereof, which are connected thereto by fold or bend lines 69. The flaps have bevelled or tapered ends 62, and are bent to right-angular relationship to the main portion 54, at the outer or forward side thereof. Stencil cut-outs 64 are formed through the main portion 54, in any desired design.

The stencils 50 are operatively positioned in the frame 10 across its openings 20, by registering the stencils with the openings, at the rear side of the frame, and inserting the stencil flaps forwardly into related slots in the intersecting bars and side and end members of the frame, as shown in FIGURE 2, so that the main portions 54 of the stencils are flush with the rear side of the frame 10. As a result, the main portions 54 of the stencils bear against a wall or other surface to be painted, as do the side members and end members of the frame in a manner to hold the stencils 50 in the frame and prevent their displacement while the assembly is applied to a surface to be painted.

In operation, the assembly is held, by suitable means (not shown) against a surface to be decorated, and paint is applied to the surface by painting through the cutouts 64.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A painters stencil comprising a frame having longitudinal side members and transverse end members, spaced transverse and longitudinal bars extending severally between and spaced from frame members, and defining openings between bars and members, stencils for the openings removably secured to the frame and extending across the openings, said frame having a transverse hinge joint comprising grooves in a transverse bar and extending into the longitudinal bars in the frame side members, said grooves separating portions of the transverse bar and related longitudinal bars in the frame side members into sections, and flexible tapes extending across the grooves and connection sections.

2. A stencil comp-rising a rectangular frame having longitudinal side members and transverse end members, intersecting longitudinal and transverse bars severally extending between said members and defining openings between the bars and between the bars and the members, said members having rear surfaces to engage a surface to be painted, said bars being shallower than said members and having rear surfaces spaced forwardly from the rear surfaces of said members, said side and end members being recessed at their inner edges to provide stop surfaces and inset rear surfaces which are coplanar with the rear surfaces of the bars, and stencils removably engaged with the frame and individually extending across frame members and located behind the inset rear surfaces and the rear surfaces of the bars, said stencils having main portions exposed in the frame openings and having cutouts, and flaps along the sides of the main portions securably and removably engaged with related bars and frame members, said frame having at least one transverse hinge joint comprising V-sh-aped grooves in a transverse bar and extending into the longitudinal bars and the frame side members, said grooves separating portions of the transverse bar and related longitudinal bars and the frame side members into sections, and flexible tapes extending across the grooves and connecting sections.

3. A stencil comprising a rectangular frame having longitudinal side members and transverse end members, intersecting longitudinal and transverse bars severally extending betweensaid members and defining openings between the bars and between the bars and the members, said members having rear surfaces to engage a surface to be'painted, said bars being shallower than said members and having rear surfaces spaced forwardly from the rear surfaces of said members, said side and end members being recessed at their inner edges to provide stop surfaces and inset rear surfaces which are coplanar with the rear surfaces of the bars, and stencils removably engaged with the frame and individually extending across frame members andrlocated behind the inset rear surfaces and the rear surfaces of the bars, said stencils having main portions exposed in the frame openings and having cutouts, and flaps along the sides of the main portions securably and removably engaged with related bars and frame members, said frame having at least one transverse hinge joint comprising V-shaped grooves in a transverse bar and extending into the longitudinal bars and the frame side members, said grooves separating portions of the transverse bar and related longitudinal bars and the frame sidermembers into sections, and flexible tapes extending 4 across the grooves and connecting sections, said tapes being secured to the forward surfaces of the sections.

4. A stencil comprising a rectangular frame having longitudinal side members and transverse end members, intersecting longitudinal and transverse bars severally extending between said members and defining openings between the bars and between the bars and the members, said members having rear surfaces to engage a surface to be painted, said bars being shallower than said members and having rear surfaces spaced forwardly from the rear surfaces of said members, said side and end members being recessed at their inner edges to provide stop surfaces and inset rear surfaces which are coplanar with the rear surfaces of the bars, and stencils removably engaged with the frame and individually extending across frame members and located behind the inset rear surfaces and the rear surfaces of the bars, said stencils having main portions exposed in the frame openings and having cut outs, and flaps along the sides of the main portiohs securably and removably engaged with related bars and frame members, said frame having at least one transverse hinge joint comprising V-shaped grooves in a transverse bar and extending into the longitudinal bars and the frame side members, said grooves separating portions of the transverse bar and related longitudinal bars and the frame side members into sections, and flexible tapes extending across the grooves and connecting sections, said tapes being secured to the forward surfaces of the sections, said tapes comprising tapes extending across the grooves in the frame side members and the longitudinal bars and in the longitudinal bars.

5. A stencil comprising a rectangular frame having longitudinal side members and transverse end members, intersecting longitudinal and transverse bars severally extending between said members and defining openings between the bars and between the bars and the members, said members having rear surfaces to engage a surface to be painted, said bars being shallower than said members and having rear surfaces spaced forwardly from the rear surfaces of said members, said side and end members being recessed at their inner edges to provide stop surfaces and inset rear surfaces which are coplanar with the rear surfaces of the bars, and stencils removably engaged with the frame and individually extending across frame members and located behind the inset rear surfaces and the rear surfaces of the bars, said stencils having main portions exposed in the frame openings and having cutouts, and flaps along the sides of the main portions securably and removably engaged with related bars and frame members, said frame having a hinge joint located between a transverse bar and a frame end member, said joint comprising aligned V-shaped grooves in the frame side members and the longitudinal bars, said grooves being spaced from the transverse bar and the frame end member, and dividing the side members and the longitudinal bars into sections, and flexible tapes secured to the forward sides of the frame side members and at least one longitudinal bar, said tapes extending across grooves and connecting related sections together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 92,657 Schmidt et al July 13,1869 397,864 Lindsey Feb. 12, 1889 573,850 Belknap Dec. 29, 1896 789,949 Wixcel May 16, 1905 1,509,223 Beghetti Sept. 23, 1924 1,619,587 Schoger Mar. 1, 1927 

